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An Unkindness of Ravens

A Chief Inspector Wexford Mystery, Book 13

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An Unkindness of Ravens

By: Ruth Rendell
Narrated by: Michael Bryant
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About this listen

 Rodney Williams's disappearance seems typical to Chief Inspector Wexford - a simple case of a man running off with a woman other than his wife. But when another woman reports that her husband is missing, the case turns unpleasantly complex.©1985 Kingsmarkham Enterprises, LLC. (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Crime Fiction Detective Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Marriage Crime
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Excellent detective story that’s all the more entertaining for its evocation of the period in which Rendell was writing. Personally I like Wexford’s character - his intellectual interests, his observations on the changing world around him.
Those who criticize the book for misogyny , for anti-feminism and insensitive treatment of incest are symptomatic of the banality of our times. Back in the late Seventies and early Eighties there was considerable tension between radical and liberal feminism and Rendell is reflecting that, not taking a stand. In fact the issues she raises through her narrative are precisely those discussed in Consciousness Raising Groups at that time – the woman’s lived experience of subjugation, objectification and dependence: within and without the home.
Incest is a taboo subject in polite conversation, but it is a fact. As is False Memory Syndrome and deliberate false accusations by adolescents to escape an impossible family situation. Rendell’s nerve to tackle the topic is to be admired not denigrated.

Not For Fainthearts or the Easily Offended

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An interesting murder mystery, with excellent narration.

It is a slow reveal plot with some fairly challenging plot lines too, as they reflect the thinking and attitudes of the times they are set in… maybe late 1970’s or early 1980’s? Just grit your teeth and enjoy?

Interesting plot, well narrated

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Spoiled by the narrator and his lack of accent in his voice it was somewhat monotone throughout

Good Story

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Well read and written but hostage to beliefs and behaviours of another time. If you can overlook the terrible misogyny it's an interesting yarn. You can't cancel a book just because Spoiler Alert it attests that young women who profess to have been sexually abused by their fathers are actually fantasists and have imagined it all, according to the theories of Freud wanting to be Daddy's little girl. Wrongly attributing this to an Oedipus complex -wrong complex! Disturbing thought is that it's written by a woman but then we are often our own indoctrinated worst enemies. I give you FGM. Other dated assertations being that it's okay for young policeman to entrap homosexual men by frequenting public lavatories and of course pregnancy makes women mad but just ignore them.Nowdays we know now puerperal psychosis is a high risk serious mental illness and we gave Google.
Perhaps it's just best to think of the strides we have taken in society in addressing such issues and enjoy it as a jolly good read!

Well read and written subject to the misogyny of the day

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Another masterpiece by Ruth, great characters, intriguing plot, nicely wrapped up at the end. A great read

intriguing plot

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